Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman said he was in "good spirits" as he prepared to enter prison to complete a 78-month sentence for his federal government corruption conviction. Siegelman has been ordered to report to federal prison in Oakdale, La., by 2 p.m. Tuesday. The man who has served in four of Alabama's top elected offices, said he is optimistic he will eventually be pardoned by President Obama. Siegelman was being driven across three states Monday by his grown children, Dana and Joseph, and his wife, Lori.

A casino lobbyist and a former legislator who pleaded guilty in Alabama's gambling corruption case are now in federal prison. A spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons said lobbyist Jarrod Massey reported Monday to the minimum-security prison camp at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery. Former state Rep. Terry Spicer of Elba reported to the minimum-security prison camp in Marion, Ill. Massey has a sentence of five years and five months for offering bribes to legislators. Spicer has a sentence of four years and nine months for accepting bribes.

Families of Prisoner's Conference

11:51 am

Fri July 27, 2012

Today starts the Alabama Families of Prisoners Conference in Birmingham. The two-day event was established to help families who are in need of resources and encouragement now that a family member is incarcerated. Mary Kay Beard is coordinating the conference. She says inmate’s families serve time just as surely as the inmates do.

"But no one tells them what the rules are, and I don't mean specific rules but how to walk through this time of incarceration and we want to provide to them resources that will be helpful."